"You... could it be Lord Tebura sent you?"
The Senif Merchant Guild, which he managed, had earned several grudges. However, they lacked the resources to send such formidable assassins.
Holp's mind raced back to his recent actions: using his connections to suppress the rapidly growing Korea Merchant Guild in the Tebura Territory.
Although other guilds had joined the effort, Holp's Senif Merchant Guild had been the most aggressive in targeting the Korea Merchant Guild.
Yuria stared down at Holp without a word. Her inorganic blue eyes sent a chill down his spine.
Holp realized his words were true. Though greedy, he wasn't stupid. If he were, he never could have built the Senif Merchant Guild into what it was.
Everyone who knew anything knew that Lord Tebura stood behind the Korea Merchant Guild. Rumor had it that Lord Tebura himself had bestowed the name "Korea" upon them, making their connection undeniable.
"Tevra's brat has crossed the line! Count Slawed will judge you all and that little bastard, and you'll all end up on the executioner's block!"
"You're the one who crossed the line."
The shadow writhed, moving like living liquid as it enveloped Holp's body.
"W-what is this?! Let me go!"
Holp jerked violently, but with no arms or legs, he was utterly helpless.
At first, it felt like nothing more than wearing suffocatingly tight clothes. But the pitch-black shadow gradually began to constrict Holp's body.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Holp soon screamed. His body felt like it was about to burst, yet it wouldn't, only inflicting excruciating pain.
After tormenting Holp for nearly five minutes, Yuria waved her hand. The shadow shrank, compressing Holp's massive body. It was Holp's end.
As the shadow receded, a pool of compressed flesh, organs, and blood began to form.
"Cheysi, I'm sorry for taking away your task."
"...No. It doesn't matter. I wasn't particularly eager to butcher that pig anyway. If venting on him was enough for the Head Maid... then that's all that matters."
Cheysi sheathed her greatsword and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Yuria asked.
"The mission's over, so I'm heading back to the mansion."
"The mission isn't over yet."
"...Another mission? I wasn't informed."
"We need to gather everything of value. Everything here belongs to the Master."
"...You want me to strip corpses and search for money?"
"There's no need for that. Just collect their armor and weapons. According to the Master, the value of iron will increase severalfold later."
"...Understood. Is that all?"
"Yes. Just gather the iron and bring it to me."
Cheysi moved to collect the armor and weapons scattered across the floor.
"They have coin purses. Head Maid! Can I take the money?"
Yuria nodded, knowing that even if the mercenaries had any money, it would likely be just small change.
"That's fine. ...Are you short on your salary?"
"No. The Master pays us plenty. But the more money, the better, right?"
While Cheysi looted the corpses, Yuria inspected the carriages.
They contained a variety of goods, from luxury items like jewels and artwork to practical supplies like animal hides and food. Yuria thoroughly examined everything and stored it all within her shadow.
Then, deep inside one of the carriages, she discovered a box. Unlike the others, it was lavishly decorated and wrapped in cloth.
The way this box is stored suggests it's likely a gift.
Yuria opened the box without hesitation.
This is...
The contents were familiar items.
Goods currently sold by the Korea Merchant Guild more precisely, items Sung Yujin had brought from the real world.
There were spices like pepper, seasonings like sugar and salt, canned tuna, and other provisions. Also included were pristine white paper, plastic toothbrushes, and Cola.
Hoarding seemed unlikely, as the Korea Merchant Guild maintained a steady supply of goods.
That left personal use or gifting as the most probable explanations.
A gift for Count Slawed? Would he even appreciate it?
Another name flashed through Yuria's mind.
"...Metis Magic Tower."
The Magic Tower located in Slawed City.
The Senif Merchant Guild also purchased salt, dried fish jerky, and seafood preserved with magic from the Metis Magic Tower, selling them in other regions.
It was highly likely that the Metis Magic Tower had instructed Holp to retrieve the Korea Merchant Guild's goods. As the Metis Magic Tower, they would naturally want to analyze the Korea Merchant Guild's recently acclaimed products.
After a moment's thought, Yuria concealed the box in the shadows.
"Head Maid! What about the horses? They're expensive, should we take them?" Cheysi's husky voice rang out.
Yuria stepped out of the carriage and addressed Cheysi.
"Taking the horses will leave a trail. Kill them all."
After gathering their belongings, Yuria erased all traces of their presence and returned to the mansion in Tebura Territory with Amanda and Cheysi.
"Haa... Hah... Ugh... Ahh!"
I pinned the muscular Cheysi to the bed, thrusting my hips rhythmically. My right hand stroked her washboard abs. Cheysi's pussy clenched tightly around me, likely from her daily rigorous training.
"...We successfully eliminated Holp, the Master of the Senif Merchant Guild," Yuria reported calmly from beside the bed, detailing the events of the early morning.
I continued to pound into Cheysi's pussy as I listened to Yuria's report.
"Count Slawed is involved? And the Metis Magic Tower too?"
"There's no definitive proof, but the likelihood is high."
"Haaah! Haaah! Haaang!"
I gripped Cheysi's trembling hips tightly with both hands, ejaculated, and withdrew my cock. My semen dripped from her clean-shaven pussy.
Slap!
I smacked Cheysi's firm ass with my palm, then sat on the edge of the bed and gulped down the cold water Yuria handed me.
"Ahhh. Nothing beats cold water after sex."
After cooling my flushed body with the water, I asked Yuria, "These petty schemes are getting annoying. Assassinating Metis, Archmage of the Mage Tower, will be tough, right?"
"Yes. Count Slawed has tightened security in the city. If I intervene, the assassination could succeed, but it would provoke Count Slawed."
If Count Slawed attacks recklessly, we'll be in trouble. I've abandoned the assassination of the Tower Master. Right now, the most important thing is to grow the Korea Merchant Guild.
"What about those who were trying to suppress the Korea Merchant Guild?"
"This warning worked perfectly. They'll be quiet for a while."
"Really? That's good to hear."
I got out of bed and put my arm around Yuria's shoulder.
"I'm going to take a bath now. Want to join me, Yuria?"
"Yes, Master. I'd be delighted to bathe you."
"Then I'll bathe you instead, just like we used to. It's been a while, so I'm looking forward to it."
In the Metis Magic Tower's conference room, Tower Master Mobit and several magicians were gathered.
Mobit stroked his white beard, which reached his chest, and gazed at the dozens of items laid out on the table.
These goods were all sold by the Korea Merchant Guild. Identical items existed, but each had been obtained through different Upper Rank guilds.
"The analysis results are utterly disappointing," Mobit muttered. "Not a single one of these is genuine."
The nearby Magicians exchanged nervous glances. Finally, Haljid, the Spiral Tower Master, stepped forward. He was the only one present who could speak freely to Mobit without hesitation.
"Tower Lord," Haljid said, "we've thoroughly analyzed these items. However, we couldn't determine their origin. Especially Cola and coffee these are foods that have never existed in this world before."
Mobit reached out and took the transparent bottle filled with a dark liquid Cola. The bottle itself was quite peculiar. It wasn't glass, yet its contents were clearly visible. When squeezed, it would deform but never shatter.
"What kind of magic was used to make this bottle?"
"...There's no magical residue whatsoever. It's highly unlikely it was made with magic."
"Not magic? Then what is it? You said it's made of something called 'plastic'?"
"I don't know. Plastic doesn't exist in this world."
"Doesn't exist in this world? What nonsense! It's right here in front of me! It's not that it doesn't exist it's that you haven't found it yet! And you call yourselves Magicians?!"
Mobit's outburst turned the atmosphere tense.
"...My apologies, Tower Lord."
Mobit closed his eyes and then opened them again.
"I apologize, Haljid. I lost my temper. Perhaps it's my age, but I struggle to control my emotions these days. I hope you can understand."
"It's quite alright."
"Then have you determined what this 'can' is made of?"
"I consulted a renowned alchemist. It appears to be similar to a mineral called bauxite."
"And what is the price of this bauxite?"
"...Bauxite is a rare mineral, costing nearly 6 million Ners per kilogram."
"They're using something that expensive as a beverage container?"
Haljid avoided Mobit's gaze. Even he found it strange.
"It seems the Korea Merchant Guild possesses alchemical secrets."
"Hmm... Is that so? What about the salt?"
Information about salt was more crucial than anything else.
One of the Metis Magic Tower's primary products was salt. The tower converted seawater into salt and sold it at a lower price than salt from other rock salt mines. Even so, it remained relatively expensive for commoners.
Yet the Korea Merchant Guild was selling salt at an even lower price than the Metis Magic Tower. Did this mean the guild's salt was of inferior quality? Not at all. Quite the opposite. Their salt was completely free of impurities and boasted an exceptional flavor.
"This salt wasn't created through magic either. If it had been, there should be traces of Mana, but there are none."
"Rock salt?"
"Solar salt."
"Were there salt farms in Tevra?"
"No. This salt wasn't produced from the nearby sea."
"What exactly do you know, then?"
"...My apologies. I'll conduct a more thorough analysis. Just give me a little more time..."
"Enough. Judging by your performance, it'll take at least several months to get any meaningful analysis. We'd be better off meeting the Korea Merchant Guild Master directly... no, we should meet Lord Tebura, the one who supposedly developed these things."
Haljid was taken aback by Mobit's words.
"Tower Lord! Count Slawed might misunderstand."
Mobit chuckled.
"Haljid, you're mistaken. Count Slawed isn't our master. He's merely a business partner."
"Surely... you're not considering abandoning Slawed City?"
"Abandon it? Was Slawed City ever ours to begin with? We're here because it's profitable. If Tevra proves more lucrative, we can move there at any time. Remember this, Haljid: we're not Count Slawed's subordinates, we're magicians of the Metis Magic Tower!"
"...Yes, I won't forget."
"Master, a letter has arrived from the Metis Magic Tower."
"A letter?"
I took the letter Yuria handed me and tore open the envelope. I quickly scanned the neatly written script.
My face soon twisted into a frown.
"Ugh, this is way too long. Does this guy not know how to summarize in three lines?"
The letter was more fluff than substance. The main point occupied only 20%, while the remaining 80% consisted of flowery language. This was because it was addressed to a noble. In this world, nobles considered it virtuous to fill their letters with elaborate embellishments.
I skimmed the letter and tossed it onto the table.
"Master, may I read the letter?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Thank you."
Yuria swiftly read the letter. She scanned the three-page document in less than ten seconds before neatly folding it.
"It seems Metis, Archmage of the Mage Tower, wishes to meet with you, Master. Shall I schedule an appointment?"
"Forget it. Why would I waste my time with that old fool? Tell him to get lost."
"I'll draft a rejection letter and send it immediately."
I nodded absently.
The Magic Tower was driven by profit, so their motives were obvious. Now wasn't the time to meet with them, though that might change later.
"Speaking of which, I heard Kyle got into Goldway Academy?"
"Yes, Master. He was admitted as a special student in the Swordsmanship Department."
"Heh. Finally. Yuria, we need to go to Goldway Academy."
"Understood, Master. I'll arrange for a ship immediately."
A wide smile spread across my face.
It was time to seize the Fortuitous Encounter from the original work's Heroine.